How Can You Tell Cucumbers Are Ripe? Use these tips for the best harvest

Cucumbers

I love homegrown cucumbers. They are one of my favorite vegetables to grow. I could eat cucumber sandwiches all summer long. (And now that I just wrote that, I’m headed to the garden for lunch.) The key to having the freshest cucumbers is knowing when they are at their best. I’ll cover the signs you need to check to know when your cucumbers are ripe and ready to pick.

hands holding ripe cucumbers

When to Pick Cucumbers: Understanding the Stage of Growth

It’s essential to know when cucumbers are ripe and ready to be picked. Homegrown cucumbers are the best-tasting and crunchiest summer crop if you pick them at the right time.


So, when is the best time to pick cucumbers? You can pick and eat cucumbers any time! As soon as those little baby cucumbers show up beneath the blossom end, they are edible. However, at this stage, they aren’t yet at their prime.

five cucumbers in stages of ripeness

Stages of Cucumber Ripeness

To harvest at the perfect time, it helps to understand the stages of cucumber growth:

Baby Cucumber Stage (Post-Pollination)

Once the female cucumber flower is pollinated, you’ll see a tiny cucumber growing bigger. These baby cucumbers are edible, but they haven’t yet developed their full size or flavor. If you want tiny cukes for gherkin pickles, you can pick them when they are a few inches long.

baby pickling cucumber
Tiny Baby Cucumber - Edible but not quite ready.

Rapid Growth Stage (Prime Harvest Window)

Over the next several days, cucumbers grow quickly–sometimes as soon as I turn my back! During this time, the fruit fills out, the interior is firm, and the skin becomes glossy.


This is the best time to harvest!


For slicing varieties, this peak harvest time is usually when cucumbers are 6–9 inches long, depending on the type. Pickling cucumbers are best when they are around 2–5 inches long. Always check variety-specific guidelines.

pickling cucumber ready to harvest
Firm, Full-size Cucumber - Perfect!

Maturity Stage (Seed Development)

As cucumbers continue to grow, the plant begins to focus its energy on maturing seeds. The skin gets thicker, the seeds grow larger and harder, and the texture becomes softer. While these cucumbers are still technically edible, they lose that satisfying crunch and fresh flavor.

yellowing overripe cucumber
Turning yellow, bulging - Overripe.

Overripe Stage (Seed Saving or Compost)

When a cucumber turns yellow, develops a bloated appearance, or feels spongy, it’s overripe. At this point, the plant receives a signal that it has completed its mission: producing viable seeds. If you let your cucumbers reach this stage, the plant will stop producing new fruits.


At this point, you can either compost the cucumbers, feed them to the chickens , or scoop out the mature seeds and save them for next season.


At the end of the season, you can let some of the cucumbers fully develop so that you can save the seeds. With viable seeds saved, you can plant them next season.

overripe yellow cucumbers

These cucumbers got away from us and got too ripe to eat. However, all is not wasted. Cut these cucumbers open and scoop out the seeds. Once they are dry, you can save them to plant next year. You can also add them to your compost bin or feed them to your chickens.

hands holding fresh garden cucumbers

When to Pick Cucumbers by Variety

Pickling Cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers can be harvested and used from the earliest stages of growth. When to pick depends on what size you want your pickles. However, you definitely don’t want to let them overripen. Once they’ve developed large seeds, they’re not good for pickling. The seeds are hard, and the flesh surrounding them is watery.


If you want crisp cucumber pickles, then you need to pick them early when they are at their peak crisp stage. Generally, 2 to 3 inches is the right size for gherkins, and 5 to 7 inches is suitable for slices.

hand holding lemon cucumbers

Lemon Cucumbers

Now this is where all the tips about ripe cucumbers are going to be useless. These cucumbers are unique. When lemon cucumbers are ripe, they are more yellow than other varieties. They are also round. Like other cucumbers, however, you don’t want them to get too ripe and seedy. Pick them when they are light yellow, before they turn brown.

Slicing Cucumbers

Slicing cucumbers can be dark green and vary in size. Straight Eight, Marketmore, and Beit Alpha cucumbers are all dark green when ripe. Mine seem to grow overnight, so I have to check on them daily. I pick the Beit Alpha when they are about 5 inches long. Straight Eight and Marketmore can go larger, usually 8 to 9 inches.

Armenian Cucumbers

Armenian variety cucumbers, such as Pale Green and Painted Serpent, can grow up to three feet long. But between 8 and 18 inches is when they’ll have the best texture and taste.

striped armenian cucumber

How to Harvest Cucumbers

My favorite cucumber harvesting tip is to put your pruners or flower scissors in your harvesting basket and check on your plants daily. You want to use sharp scissors to cut cucumbers off the vine. Pulling them off can go badly, and you’ll damage the plant. Don’t learn this the hard way.


Some cucumbers have spines that need to be wiped off, and the leaves are scratchy, so you may want to wear gardening gloves.


harvested bright green cucumber

Cucumber Harvesting FAQs

What color should a ripe cucumber be?

Depending on the variety, ripe cucumbers are usually bright to dark green, firm, and slightly glossy. Yellowing is a sign of over-ripeness. (Except for Lemon Cucumbers)

Do cucumbers ripen after you pick them?

No. Cucumbers don’t continue to ripen after they are picked and will start deteriorating, so it's best to eat them within a few days.

How often should I check for ripe cucumbers?

During peak season, check plants daily. Cucumbers grow quickly and can go from perfect to overripe in just 24 to 48 hours.

Do I need to peel my cucumbers?

Young cucumbers have more tender skin than older cucumbers. Some varieties naturally have tender skin. Depending on your preference, you can leave the peels on or peel them.

Why are my cucumbers bitter?

Cucurbitacins are a bitter compound that occur naturally in squash, melons, and cucumbers. Some cucumber varieties naturally contain more cucurbitacin, while others contain less. Stressed cucumbers will produce more of those bitter compounds, so water well and harvest at their prime.

sliced cucumbers on wood board

For me, the only bad cucumber is an overripe one. An overripe cucumber will have large, hard seeds. While these cucumbers are still edible, they’re not worth it for me. If you want to, you can cut out the seeds and watery middle. However, the flavor isn’t as good, and the texture isn’t as crisp.


Harvesting cucumbers too late is one of the most common mistakes made by new gardeners.


Don’t wait too long to pick cucumbers. Enjoy them at the height of their crisp, juicy freshness.


Ready to grow your own crisp, fresh cucumbers?

Browse our heirloom cucumber seed collection and get planting!

Written by Beverly Laudie


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